Dan comes home with exciting stories of patients he’s helped in the hospital: a baby saved from meningitis, a cured snake bite, a life rededicated to God. I love to hear the work he gets to be a part of there, but at times it can be a trial for me. Nobody ever says, “I want to do the mundane and ordinary for God,” instead they say, “I want to do glorious things for the Lord.” God is chiseling away at my heart and mind to be satisfied with the small work of being a mother and wife here on the field, and I’m afraid He’s had to do a little more hammering and it’s been a little more painful than I would like to admit. Since receiving a call to missions when I was 17 I have had a lot of time to contemplate what my service on the field would look (and feel) like. Reading some of the biographies of passionate missionaries from earlier years one’s head can get filled with all kinds of ideas how the field will be. I’m not in any way saying we shouldn’t be filled with hope that hundreds can be reached through the ministry the Lord has placed us in or that we should ever give up on the idea that awesome things can occur on the mission field, but to be here day in and day out cooking, cleaning, and changing diapers it can be a challenge to see things in an eternal perspective. I must be confident of God’s call on my life and rest in his peace that I am here, “For such a time as this,” changing diapers and all. Only God fully knows the sphere of influence I have on those I may interact with and maybe it’s better this way. If we always knew how our Christian, Spirit-filled lives lived out every day in the normal activities of living affected those around us we may take to our own credit the good others saw in us, instead of the glory given to God. “So Lord, help me to praise You as I clean up spilt milk and cookie crumbs, help me to smile at the fruit vendor and say, ”Hi,” to the bread lady. I need your grace to make my tedious, repetitive everyday action a song of praise to You. And help me to trust that You have me here for a reason as I seek to glorify your kingdom.”
“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work or the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” Hebrews 6:10-12
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
47 Cents and an Honest Man
Since Caleb seemed to be doing much better after his "ride in a rocketship" (see previous blog) we decided to proceed with our plans for Dan's four-day weekend. Dan hadn't been far from Shell in over a month so we headed to a town an hour bus ride away called Banos. One nice thing about living in Ecuador is that activites for the family are usually quite inexpensive. We got to visit the zoo there and stayed at an hostel for the night. We decided to take a taxi to the top of the ridge that overlooks the town. Just after arriving Dan realized that his wallet was gone. Since he had purchased breakfast for us just a little earlier and had it at that time we knew it had been stolen within the two blocks we walked to get the taxi. Though a stolen wallet isn't life-or-death it can be quite frustrating, especially in a foreign country. We became a little more anxious when we realized that I had given all my "extra" money to Dan for safe keeping, and that morning he had moved it from his sock to the wallet. Now we had to hope that the cash I was carrying would cover our taxi ride, hostel fee, and bus ride back to Shell, since we had no way to pull out more cash since his credit card and debit card had been in the wallet, as well. We did some quick calculating and knew that if there was any tax on our room or the second taxi driver charged us more we would be stuck in Banos. God provided for us: no over-charged taxi fees and a tax-free hostel stay. We made it home with 47 cents (and when we stopped our cards nothing new had been charged on them).
The next day when Dan returned to work he received $60 unexpectedly. A few weeks ago he had given this amount to a father from the jungle with little money so he could purchase medicine for his son. Upon later discovering that the medicine isn't available at this time in Ecuador the man walked back out of the jungle (not always a small feat) and returned it to Dan at the hospital. In a country where lost money is never returned and the wages are barely sustainable, we were stunned by this man's honesty and integrity. Dan would have never known that the money wasn't used for medicine if the patient's father had chose to keep it. God used money lost and money returend to teach us a lesson in His provisions and gifts.
The next day when Dan returned to work he received $60 unexpectedly. A few weeks ago he had given this amount to a father from the jungle with little money so he could purchase medicine for his son. Upon later discovering that the medicine isn't available at this time in Ecuador the man walked back out of the jungle (not always a small feat) and returned it to Dan at the hospital. In a country where lost money is never returned and the wages are barely sustainable, we were stunned by this man's honesty and integrity. Dan would have never known that the money wasn't used for medicine if the patient's father had chose to keep it. God used money lost and money returend to teach us a lesson in His provisions and gifts.
Friday, March 5, 2010
A Ride in a Rocketship
After working a full weekend on call, I get rewarded with a 4-day weekend sometime during the month. We've been enjoying that time this weekend. We went to a fun swimming pool that appeared pretty clean, followed by a nature walk through the jungle. In the evening we enjoyed dinner with some friends. Just after dinner, Caleb decided to take a swing in a hammock. Hammocks are super-prevalent here, as many of the indigenous cultures use them every night to sleep. Unfortunately, Caleb was having a little too much fun in the hammock and he fell to the cement three feet below with a crash. Some kisses from mommy were applied, and he seemed to be doing much better.
Unfortunately, after the kisses we started hearing things like, "I'm sick," and "This car makes me feel really tired". Over the next 3-4 hours back at the house, Caleb had SIX! episodes of vomiting, and he seemed much more drowsy than normal. These can be signs of increased pressure inside the head (i.e. bleeding caused by the head trauma). I called up my buddy Joe Martin, one of the other family docs here. When I'm at home I'm "Daddy", and I don't like to be "Doctor" at the same time. Joe was immensely helpful and understanding, and he arranged for us to have a CT scan of Caleb's headl in another town, as there is not one at our hospital. We were thankful to the Lord that this was available, because often the scanner doesn't operate after hours (this was all going on at midnight). We drove Caleb over to the next town, and the poor little guy was dry heaving the whole way. Of course he was taking it all like a trooper. In the scanner, Caleb was pretending like he was riding in a spaceship and he held very still. Pokey, his little rag-doll teddy bear, got to ride too. The head CT didn't show any signs of trauma inside the brain, and little Caleb started to feel better. It looks like he's had his first (and hopefully last) concussion. Caleb slept well from 1:30 am on. We thank Jesus for watching out for our big little astronaut man!
Cooling off on a hot day.
Caleb's jungle rabbit ears
Unfortunately, after the kisses we started hearing things like, "I'm sick," and "This car makes me feel really tired". Over the next 3-4 hours back at the house, Caleb had SIX! episodes of vomiting, and he seemed much more drowsy than normal. These can be signs of increased pressure inside the head (i.e. bleeding caused by the head trauma). I called up my buddy Joe Martin, one of the other family docs here. When I'm at home I'm "Daddy", and I don't like to be "Doctor" at the same time. Joe was immensely helpful and understanding, and he arranged for us to have a CT scan of Caleb's headl in another town, as there is not one at our hospital. We were thankful to the Lord that this was available, because often the scanner doesn't operate after hours (this was all going on at midnight). We drove Caleb over to the next town, and the poor little guy was dry heaving the whole way. Of course he was taking it all like a trooper. In the scanner, Caleb was pretending like he was riding in a spaceship and he held very still. Pokey, his little rag-doll teddy bear, got to ride too. The head CT didn't show any signs of trauma inside the brain, and little Caleb started to feel better. It looks like he's had his first (and hopefully last) concussion. Caleb slept well from 1:30 am on. We thank Jesus for watching out for our big little astronaut man!
What we lack in choices of pop flavors,
we make up for with choices of pop sizes.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Carnival
One holiday in many Latin American countries that I had never been aware of is Carnival. It occurs several days before Ash Wednesday and pretty much consists of everyone attempting to get everyone else as wet as possible. Thankfully Shell is a peaceful and friendly town so the people only use water and spray foam with an occasional bag of flour thrown in, unlike more rowdy places where you may have oil-based paint or urine sprayed on you. The kids had a great time joining in the fun with water balloons and readily available foam spray from a nearby store. Poor Jael got the brunt of her brother's attacks but took it with laughter and smiles.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Carry your Sword
Many times I'm faced with a patient who doesn't make sense. In other words, they haven't read the text book. Something is going on with him or her that doesn't seem to fit the mold of a physical problem. Ms. A was one of those patients. She's currently pregnant with her fourth child, about 22 weeks along. Two weeks ago she presented to the hospital with bleeding. A physical exam and ultrasound had revealed that all was well. A few days ago she presented to my clinic with contraction-like pains. She didn't have a urine infection, and monitoring and exams revealed that she was not in labor. The Holy Spirit prompted me to try to find out the answer to the question, "What is really wrong with Ms. A?". Through a series of questions, we began to talk about the stresses in her life. She related to me that her heart was full of fears regarding the pregnancy.
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." (1 John 4:18)
Ms. A told me that she used to have a right relationship with Jesus, and that she had accepted His free gift of salvation. However, she felt that Jesus was far away during this pregnancy. We talked about how Jesus is the only one who can offer perfect love, and how perfect love is the only thing that can drive out fear. We shared a time of prayer together. She recommitted her life to Jesus, and told me that she is going to start going to church again!
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction in right living." (2 Tim. 3:16)
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." (1 John 4:18)
Ms. A told me that she used to have a right relationship with Jesus, and that she had accepted His free gift of salvation. However, she felt that Jesus was far away during this pregnancy. We talked about how Jesus is the only one who can offer perfect love, and how perfect love is the only thing that can drive out fear. We shared a time of prayer together. She recommitted her life to Jesus, and told me that she is going to start going to church again!
"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction in right living." (2 Tim. 3:16)
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Morning of Meningitis
(The patients and their families described in this blog excitedly gave permission to share their stories and pictures)
About two weeks ago I was having a pretty busy call. I'm starting to earn a reputation as a "mala espalda", which means "bad back". The reason they call me that is because I tend to be working when most of the sick people come in. In the US, instead of a "bad back", I'd be called a "black cloud". Anyway, it was busy, and at 2 am two girls came into the ER. They were from completely different communities. Rashell is 10 years old, and she lives in an indigenous community deep in the jungle. Miley, age 2, is from Puyo, which is a decent-sized town right up the road. They sell pizza and ice cream in Puyo, so that says a little bit about the differences in their backgrounds.
The resident on call told me about Miley first. That day she had visited a health center in Puyo for fevers, followed by a seizure and left sided weakness. A CT of her head had been performed and was found to be normal. Her doctors there were reassured by this information, she had been sent home. It sounded like she could have been having febrile seizures, which are very innocent--but on the other hand, we were pretty concerned by the fact that she was not moving her left side. We performed a lumbar puncture and drew blood cultures and admitted her for administration of high dose IV antibiotics. Studies of the cerebral spinal fluid confirmed what we had been thinking--she had a probable case of bacterial meningitis.
Rashell seemed even sicker than Miley. She also had been having fevers and had suffered a seizure a few hours earlier. Her dark brown eyes were rolled back and lacked the dance of life that eyes usually have. She made insensible groans with painful stimlation (when the IV was started). Flexing her neck forward also seemed to cause lots of discomfort. Because Rashell's mother, who had died several years earlier, had had a bad experience with a lumbar puncture, the family would not give us permission to draw the fluid from Rashell that would confirm our suspicion--another case of meningitis. She, too, was admitted for high dose antibiotics.
High doses of antibiotics are required to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that protects our nervous system. Likewise, we gave these two girls super-high doses of prayer in an effort to fight this potentially deadly disease. Their families were at peace after the prayers, and I went home to rest for a bit.
The next day Miley was doing much better in that the weakness in her left side was resolving. However, she did have another seizure. We began anti-seizure medications and stayed the course. Rashell's status did not change on day 2, and I began to feel less sure that she would ever wake up.
On the following day, Miley's weakness had completely resolved and she was seizure-free! In addition, Rashell was starting to talk, and she even smiled. That dance had returned to her eyes. Praise the Lord! Little by little, they have both recovered completely from their illness, and today is the last day of their high-dose antibiotics.
It is not rare for a person to die from a case of bacterial meningitis. Survivors often suffer consequences such as residual weakness, or even deafness or blindness. I praise the Lord that these two sweet girls have done so well. I thank Him that he gave wisdom to scientists who invented antibiotics. Most of all, I am reassured once again that I can always find peace and hope in the power of prayer to our God Almighty.
About two weeks ago I was having a pretty busy call. I'm starting to earn a reputation as a "mala espalda", which means "bad back". The reason they call me that is because I tend to be working when most of the sick people come in. In the US, instead of a "bad back", I'd be called a "black cloud". Anyway, it was busy, and at 2 am two girls came into the ER. They were from completely different communities. Rashell is 10 years old, and she lives in an indigenous community deep in the jungle. Miley, age 2, is from Puyo, which is a decent-sized town right up the road. They sell pizza and ice cream in Puyo, so that says a little bit about the differences in their backgrounds.
The resident on call told me about Miley first. That day she had visited a health center in Puyo for fevers, followed by a seizure and left sided weakness. A CT of her head had been performed and was found to be normal. Her doctors there were reassured by this information, she had been sent home. It sounded like she could have been having febrile seizures, which are very innocent--but on the other hand, we were pretty concerned by the fact that she was not moving her left side. We performed a lumbar puncture and drew blood cultures and admitted her for administration of high dose IV antibiotics. Studies of the cerebral spinal fluid confirmed what we had been thinking--she had a probable case of bacterial meningitis.
Rashell seemed even sicker than Miley. She also had been having fevers and had suffered a seizure a few hours earlier. Her dark brown eyes were rolled back and lacked the dance of life that eyes usually have. She made insensible groans with painful stimlation (when the IV was started). Flexing her neck forward also seemed to cause lots of discomfort. Because Rashell's mother, who had died several years earlier, had had a bad experience with a lumbar puncture, the family would not give us permission to draw the fluid from Rashell that would confirm our suspicion--another case of meningitis. She, too, was admitted for high dose antibiotics.
High doses of antibiotics are required to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that protects our nervous system. Likewise, we gave these two girls super-high doses of prayer in an effort to fight this potentially deadly disease. Their families were at peace after the prayers, and I went home to rest for a bit.
The next day Miley was doing much better in that the weakness in her left side was resolving. However, she did have another seizure. We began anti-seizure medications and stayed the course. Rashell's status did not change on day 2, and I began to feel less sure that she would ever wake up.
On the following day, Miley's weakness had completely resolved and she was seizure-free! In addition, Rashell was starting to talk, and she even smiled. That dance had returned to her eyes. Praise the Lord! Little by little, they have both recovered completely from their illness, and today is the last day of their high-dose antibiotics.
It is not rare for a person to die from a case of bacterial meningitis. Survivors often suffer consequences such as residual weakness, or even deafness or blindness. I praise the Lord that these two sweet girls have done so well. I thank Him that he gave wisdom to scientists who invented antibiotics. Most of all, I am reassured once again that I can always find peace and hope in the power of prayer to our God Almighty.
Miley and her Mama
Rashell
Friday, February 5, 2010
Avenue of the Volcanoes
Part of the road from Quito to Shell is known as the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Most of the time we don't get to see many of these mountains from Shell with the cloud cover we get from living in the rainforest. However, the other day I went out for an early weekend morning run. I wasn't so sure I wanted to be up exercising on a Saturday morning when I could be in bed asleep, but it was worth it when I got to see Tungurahua blowing ash and smoke into the air. If you come to visit us you'll drive past the base of this mountain where the town of Banos lies, which had to be evacuated several years ago due to lava flow.
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